The police asked the Legal Affairs Department of the City of Montreal to see what can or should be done by the authorities, because there have still been offenses committed, such as vandalism on the statue of the Queen. Victoria.
This could possibly justify a dismantling, but “the fact remains that we must always balance the need to intervene with freedom of expression,” commented SPVM inspector David Shane on Wednesday. on the sidelines of a police press conference on the firearms situation on its territory.
“For now, as long as there is no overflow, as long as there is no risk to the safety of citizens, there is no intervention,” said Mr. Shane, which takes the occupation of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the premises of McGill University a few weeks ago as an example of when the authorities may decide to intervene. The police made around fifteen arrests.
“If there are criminal offenses, if there are events like this happened, for example, around the McGill encampment […] “We intervene quickly to secure the premises and secure the citizens,” explained Inspector Shane.
Otherwise, the line is thin and the SPVM does not see any issue for citizen security at Victoria Square at present, although the police are monitoring the situation.
“Dismantling for the sake of dismantling is always a balancing act between the laws, but also to ensure the rights and freedoms of people.”
– David Shane, SPVM inspector
“The question is the weight of freedom of expression versus the application of a municipal bylaw that has precedence,” said Mr. Shane. “What is more important? Can we invoke a simple municipal bylaw to finally put an end to this event? That’s a good question.”
The inspector indicates that this is what is being studied with the legal affairs department and notes the complex nature of the files of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations which have taken place in Montreal in recent months. “There are various judges who have refused provisional injunctions and have also said in writing that these are fundamental questions, two fundamental rights which clash,” he notes.
The demonstrators’ demands
Installed since last Saturday, The pro-Palestinian camp at Victoria Square continues to put pressure on the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (MRIF).
At a press conference on Tuesday, the Divest for Palestine collective reiterated its demands with the support of other organizations. In particular, they want the “immediate” closure of the Quebec office in Tel Aviv and for the CDPQ to stop investing in companies linked to what the demonstrators consider to be a “genocide”.
A United Nations (UN) report submitted by independent expert Francesca Albanese concluded in March 2024 that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating that acts of genocide” were committed “against the Palestinians in Gaza has been achieved”. However, no court had yet found a crime of genocide in Gaza at the time of writing.
Pro-Palestinian activists have been camping since last April on grounds of the McGill University campus in downtown Montreal. They say the establishment’s latest offer falls far short of what would be needed to convince them to leave.
The establishment announced last week that it would stop negotiating with demonstrators from the pro-Palestinian encampment. “Despite our renewed attempts to discuss in good faith, the camp representatives maintained that their demands would not be subject to negotiation, while accusing the University of not wanting to engage in real dialogue,” said Rector Deep Saini.
McGill’s request for an interlocutory injunction for the dismantling of the encampment will return to court on July 25. According to one of the lawyers representing the establishment, the delays are considered “normal” due to the evidence presented.
